


Be there when I fall apart

by Lola12345



Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:01:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23861980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lola12345/pseuds/Lola12345
Summary: Set only seconds after the group listens to the tape Bryce Walker made for Jessica.
Relationships: Justin Foley/Alex Standall
Comments: 5
Kudos: 41





	Be there when I fall apart

The last note of Bryce's words had rung through the tape machine and into the room. A heavy silence coated the room instead.   
Although Alex knew that none of the others were really looking at him, he felt their stares burning into his flesh and the next second he stumbled towards the door.   
The space inside suddenly felt way to cramped and he felt like he was slowly suffocating.   
He did not make it far, as heavy tears were coating his vision and soon the limping boy stumbled and fell to his knees onto the wet pavement.   
Back in the outhouse everyone felt frozen to their seats, no one knew who should react.   
By the time Zach had started to gather his crutches to move, Justin had already slipped towards the door and everyone was just left staring at the closed door once again.   
Everyone surprised that Justin had been the first to react.   
Especially since the second Alex-Justin-Jessica-Drama they had all seen that things were very strained between the two boys.   
The earlier hints of friendship between the two had seemingly completely faded away until this moment.   
For a moment it crossed Clay's mind that maybe Justin had went after Alex out of anger.   
He knew that Justin still hurt under the fact that his prior best friend was dead now, even if the other boy did not want to admit it.   
But the thought left his brain when he stepped towards the window to look outside. It was raining but he could clearly make out the shape of the two boys outside.   
Justin was holding Alex who was hugging his knees with his head hung low.   
The moment Justin had stepped out of the room to follow Alex he wondered if he had made the right decision.   
He was probably the last person Alex wanted to see but he had reacted out of reflex.   
The past times he had ended up with Alex in the same space had always ended up in a fight between the two but after he heard the news that it was Alex, kind innocent Alex, who killed Bryce he felt like he could no longer stay away.   
It had shocked him completely but suddenly a lot of things had clicked in his brain.   
And so he slowly took a step towards the boy who was crouched on the ground, the sight of his shaking shoulders, breaking his heart.   
A bit afraid of Alex reaction to finding out that it was Justin who had followed him he knelled hesitantly down next to the other boy.   
But as soon as he heard the sobs escaping Alex he pulled him into his arms.   
He felt how Alex resisted for a moment but then let himself be pulled into the embrace. It was almost comical with the heavy rain falling down on the two boys.   
He almost did not catch the words that stumbled out of Alex's mouth, he kept on repeating sorry over and over again.   
Justin pulled Alex even closer to him and started speaking, “Alex, Hey Alex. Listen to me. Stop it. Stop beating yourself up other this. What is done is done and in a way not even I can blame you for what you did. You did not mean to kill him, first you came to him to help him. Because you are a good person. Alex, you are a good person. Way better than I ever was. It just hurt you to know how many people Bryce has hurt.”, he did not even know what he should say but it seemed like Alex was at least listening to his voice. He had gotten a bit quieter in his arms.   
And then he heard the broken words tumbling out of Alex's mouth, “This is the first time I cried since it happened. For the longest time I felt like it broke me, I still do. You have to believe me, before Clay would have gotten arrested I was ready to kill myself. I wrote a confession. I had already cleaned my room. And I was going to do it for good this time. I deserve to be dead, more than Bryce who was trying to change for the better.”  
“Alex Stop”, Justin said in a clear but tormented voice, he put his hands on Alexs cheeks and forced him to look into his eyes, only then did he notice how wet his own face was.   
“We never spoke about it again, but remember the time you saved my life. If you had not come in that moment and managed to roll me over I would be dead now. And that was a thing of a few seconds. Sometimes the line between life and death is so thin, it should not be only on your shoulders. No matter what. Never say again that you deserve to be dead.”  
Alex looked at him, dumbfounded and after a moment of silence he asked, “Justin, why are you crying?”  
A tiny laugh escaped Justin's lips but it was mixed with a sob and he leaned forward to rest his forehead against the one of Alex.   
The others who had all been standing at the window to watch, hastily stepped away as they suddenly felt like they were intruding on a very private moment.   
Especially on Jessica's face the deep confusion but also hurt was easily to read.


End file.
